Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com

Self-defense and Banes
Judy Harrow
I surely agree that we have every right to protect ourselves and our
"own folk" from attack. But I do believe that shield and mirror
workings are more efficient, effective and elegant at accomplishing the
goal of self-protection. Consider this - a mirror working is perfect
justice. If I am mistaken, either that psychic attack is being done at
all or about the perpetrator, a bane will jeopardies me karmically and
(if psychic attack truly is being done by somebody other than the one I
suspect) fail to protect me. A mirror sits there passively, ignores any
mistaken paranoia that I may occasionally get, does nothing at all
until and unless an attack happens, and then sends the bad energy
directly back to the exactly deserving person or group in exactly the
proper amount and kind. A mirror is perfect justice.
A grounding shield is perfect mercy, taking bad energy and
dissipating it harmlessly. I think I already said this but I recently
talked one of my students into using a grounding shield where she would
have been perfectly entitled to use a mirror. The situation is an
ongoing battle between my student's lover and his former wife. While
the ex-wife did an entirely unjustifiable attack, and would fully
deserve to have it returned full force, all this would really
accomplish would be to perpetuate the craziness, hostility and tension
in the situation - and both the couple's innocent children and my
student are being hurt. Better for all concerned to ignore justice and
drain as much of the tension as possible, to make room for the healing
that all of them need. A grounding shield is perfect mercy.
Butbanes and bindings, whilethey may giveshort term protection,
risk your own karma, are susceptible to mistake, and may, if
misdirected, even fail of their well-intended purpose. Sure you're
entitled to self-protection. This is just a lousy way to go about it. I
guess my kind of Warrior is Athena, the wise defender.
warmly / Judy
From: Hugh Read
You have a gentle way. For myself, I love Minerva who I feel is a
Being unto Herself. The concept of the Grounding Shield is clear to
me...would you care to share the practice with me. Justice has little
interest for me. That takes care of itself in the process of time. We
are all amply repayed for our varies deeds simply by wearing this body
of ours. Healing is far more to the point. The word Justice makes me
cringe a bit, though long ago I came to peace with Justice. One of my
more angry prayers is May he/she have perfect Justice, NOW! Instant
karma, NOW...and I always add, and so may it be with me.
I remember telling this to a New Age teacher a few years ago. He
turned pale and promised me auto accidents, fire, theft and robbery if
I did that. Well, I am still bopping along with my share in the
chancier aspects of life affirming perfect Justice for my self and
every now and then in those very rare (!) moments of anger instant
Karma for me and whoever. I love the idea of a shield that will ground
and disperse any nasties send grovelling in my direction. Let Healing
Be the Way!!! Tender bliss and explosive ecstacy be yours as the days
pass softly!
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From: Judy Harrow
It's visualization either way. For the grounding shield, it is
velvety, absorptive black (Oops, I should say that MINE is - you may
alter this to whatever will convince your Younger Self). Every so often
along it's length, for me every 2-3 yards, there is a post somewhat
like a fence post that extends deep into the ground and is conductive
like a lightening rod. Trust mother Earth to filter any kind of energy
back into simple, pure, undifferentiated energy and recycle it to
wherever it is most needed. So the shield catches incoming energy and
channels it down through the purifying rocks. I don't know exactly how
to describe physically how the shield can be
semi-permeable, allowing in the well-wishes of your friends, but, as
semi permeable membranes exist in Nature, helping each cell maintain
its water/salt balance, so can this shield. Can you conceive of a
substance both velvet and mesh? That's how it is with me.
Onthe justice endof the spectrum, myown Younger Selfis a bit of
a literalist. A flat mirror will not work for me, since the angle of
incidence is complementary to the angle of reflection, which means that
bad energy is actually diverted from the sender and bounced onto
innocent parties. My mirror looks like a waffle, and is optically
designed to send stuff back exactly where it came from. It's also
semi-permeable, and that is even harder to explain. I guess Younger
Self is not altogether consistent.
On the issue of choosing between the two modes. Justice is a
tautology. It will do no better - and no worse - than getting you back
to where you began. It protects and maintains, but does not allow for
growth. Perhaps you've read Diana Paxon's wonderful book "Red Mare,
White Stallion." At the beginning, the women of the tribe have a ritual
opportunity to make a wish for the coming year. But the heroine does
something even better. When her turn comes, she tells the Goddess
"Mother, You choose." Had she chosen, she could not possibly have
received anything more than she was capable of imagining. Taking the
risk of not choosing was opening herself to surprise and
transformation.
Reading that was a mind-blow forme. Since then, I have tried to
take Diana's dare as much as possible, and not limit myself to
tautology. I don't do it all the time, but I stretch toward it. The
mirror/shield question resonates with that for me.
Minerva/Athena wears a shieldand helmet, and carries aspear. My
Sister is a Warrior, but always in defense of the community and always
for justice. Never for greed or domination. It is worthy to protect
what you have, and worthy to reach beyond.
warmly / Judy
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